At Black History Month gala, village honors five for service

When the late Lt. Col. Norman Easy’s name was called, the audience stood and gave him a standing ovation. Easy’s family, including his wife, Nixita, and sons Marcus, 28, and Jayden, 12, accepted a posthumous award for Easy’s contributions to his community and country during the Village of Freeport’s annual Black History Month celebration on Tuesday. Easy was a reserve officer in New York Army National Guard who died Dec. 8 aboard a Chinese Eastern Airlines flight to Shanghai.

Held at the Freeport Recreation Center, the event honored five men who have contributed to Freeport through their service to the community. The evening began with performances of the national anthem and “Lift Every Voice and Sing,” sung by Freeport High School students Gabriel Alvarado and Hailey Brown. After an invocation, the Rev. Stephen Michael Lewis, of Bethel AME Church, and his wife, Charlene Lewis, shared a spirited oral history of the formation of the African Methodist Episcopal Church. 

Five African-American men — Daryl Kevin Allen, Philip Bristol, Jimmy Jones, Ernest Kight Jr. and Easy — were recognized.

Kight, a Freeport Board of Education trustee, received a plaque. Kight retired as the Freeport High School principal in 2012. As an educator, he has served Freeport students in every capacity — teacher, adviser, coach and assistant principal. He has been on the school board since 2015.

“I’m very honored to be here,” Kight said. “I’m even more honored of the young men — Allen, Bristol and Jones. You have been very good to Freeport. Congratulations for all of that you’ve done.”

Allen, Bristol and Jones are 1995 graduates of Freeport High. They were students when Kight was assistant principal. The men took turns thanking Kight for his positive influence and support in their careers as educators.

Allen, known to everyone as Coach Kevin, was also recognized. He has coached Little League baseball and softball as well as youth football. He is also one of the founders of the Freeport Red Ravens Sports and Academic Clubs, for which he is a commissioner.

“I want to provide a good foundation to [students] so that they can be good citizens,” Allen said. “I’m very proud and honored.”

Bristol, a Freeport High math teacher, was recognized for his teaching and his work to help African-American youth. He has coached varsity girls’ track for three seasons, and has been involved in after-school clubs and the Red Ravens.

Jones, a lifelong Freeporter, has worked with Freeport students for the past 18 years. He has taught at J.W. Dodd Middle School and coached a number of championship-winning football teams.

“Through my family and the village, I have been able to maximize everything that I am today,” Jones said. “I truly want to give back to the kids and give them the opportunities that I was afforded, because without the people within this village, I don’t know where I would be.”

The evening also included a performance by the New Visions School Glee Club, and a re-enactment of “American Bandstand” and a tribute to Chuck Berry by Caroline G. Atkinson Intermediate School students.